1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminate for the protection of motor vehicle bodies from abrasion damage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Laminates for the protection of motor vehicles which comprise a plastic film coated with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive are known products. They are commonly referred to as "rocker panel laminates" since they are often affixed to the rocker panels and adjacent portions of motor vehicles to protect those portions of the vehicles from abrasion and corrosion damage caused by rocks, gravel, and the like which are thrown against the vehicle body by the action of the vehicle's tires. Such laminates utilize a relatively thick plastic film (e.g., from about 200 microns to about 350 microns or thicker) in order to confer the desired degree of abrasion and corrosion resistance on the vehicle body. Conventional laminates of this type have contained either polyurethane or externally plasticized polyvinyl chloride. An example of an externally plasticized vinyl chloride polymer laminate is PROCAL protective film from Stauffer Chemical Company.
Although marking film laminates have been proposed which contain internally plasticized vinyl chloride copolymer resins (i.e., U.S. Pat. No,. 4,343,856 to J. C. Goswami et al.). such products are much thinner (i.e., 50-125 microns) than the thickness desired for rocker panel laminates (i.e., 200-350 microns). Merely increasing the thickness of the type of marking film product described in the aforementioned patent will not, however, yield a satisfactory rocker panel laminate since the product would not have the desired degree of flexibility to protect a motor vehicle body from abrasion damage without also being damaged itself because of its lower impact resistance at low temperature thereby detracting from its aesthetic appeal.